Open Heart. 2026 Apr 3;13(1):e004115. doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2026-004115.
ABSTRACT
IMPORTANCE: Women with angina due to suspected ischaemia referred for coronary angiography often have no obstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA/INOCA).
OBJECTIVE: To determine if intensive medical treatment (IMT) reduces major ischaemic events (major adverse cardiovascular event, MACE) among women with suspected ANOCA/INOCA.
DESIGN: Randomised, prospective, blinded-outcomes evaluation.
SETTING: 71 sites in the USA.
PARTICIPANTS: 2476 women with suspected ANOCA/INOCA.
INTERVENTIONS: IMT-high intensity statin, ACE inhibitor (ACEi) or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) and aspirin versus usual care (UC).
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Primary: all cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke/transient ischaemic attack, hospitalisation for angina or heart failure (MACE). Secondary: components of the primary, quality of life and win ratio.
RESULTS: Recruitment was lower than planned (n=2476), yielding an aged population (mean, 64 years) with well-controlled blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol at baseline, and relatively high rates of statin and ACEI/ARB use. At 2.5 years, 421 events occurred (221 in IMT, 200 in UC) with no difference in the primary outcome (HR=1.13 (95% CI 0.94 to 1.37) for IMT vs UC, p=0.20) or secondary outcomes. Hospitalisations for angina were the dominant contributor to MACE. Sensitivity analysis of contamination provided an estimated HR for IMT versus UC of 0.74 95% CI (0.352 to 1.558), p=0.43.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Among women with suspected ANOCA/INOCA, outcomes were dominated by chest pain and IMT did not improve outcomes, although limited power precludes concluding that it may not be helpful. The findings support the need for more investigation in this population with high burden of angina hospitalisation, health resource consumption and poor quality of life.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03417388.
PMID:41932694 | DOI:10.1136/openhrt-2026-004115
